I had asked a Special Needs ICT and AT Consultant/Trainer on Twitter this question: “What have you found to be the most helpful AT device for children with severe physical disabilities in social situations? Unfortunately, I did not receive a response. Not to worry though! The lack of response led me to do my own search to find the answer to my question.

Are you ready for what I found?? There is not one single answer! In order to find the most helpful AT device for social situations is completely dependent on the child and their needs. The child may need a pacer or stander to become eye level with peers for communication or the child may need a communication device. There is an endless amount of different devices and variations to be able to fit each child’s individual needs.

I am guessing that is the reason I did not receive a response back. Possibly because there is not just one blanket answer but a multitude depending on the needs of the child.

For my 20% Blog Project I have chosen to research the different types of AT that are available for students with physical disabilities. This topic is very broad but offers a large source for information. I will be able to cover low tech, mid tech, and high tech assistive technology.

I work at a private school for children with special needs. A large portion of our student population have some sort of physical disability. We are always looking for new ways to incorporate assistive technology in the classrooom for all of our students. Not only will I benefit from this research project, but so will other teachers, paraprofessionals, parents and students.

To begin my research I will utilize the Google search engine and also Twitter. I am following Ian Bean, @SENICT, who is a special needs AT Consultant/Trainer and also @SpecialEdGuide. They are just the surface of what I intend to discover for my blog. I am excited to see what I can find!